Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2009

Bibi Graetz - Tuscany
- Italy
- Toscano

Professional Wine Reviews for Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2009

Rated 95 by Decanter

A wine with lots of blackberries and milk chocolate on the nose with medium to full body, with fine tannins and cocoa, berry and dusty finish. Chewy and rich. Needs time to soften and mellow. Better after 2013. (Suckling)

Rated 92 by Wine Spectator

This red is supple, with bright cherry fruit offsetting the firm tannins. Tobacco and leather flavors, with a hint of tar, add complexity as this persists through the lingering aftertaste of tobacco and spice. Sangiovese. Drink now through 2021.

Professional Wine Reviews for Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2009

Rated 95 by Decanter

A wine with lots of blackberries and milk chocolate on the nose with medium to full body, with fine tannins and cocoa, berry and dusty finish. Chewy and rich. Needs time to soften and mellow. Better after 2013. (Suckling)

Rated 92 by Wine Spectator

This red is supple, with bright cherry fruit offsetting the firm tannins. Tobacco and leather flavors, with a hint of tar, add complexity as this persists through the lingering aftertaste of tobacco and spice. Sangiovese. Drink now through 2021.

Rated 90 by Robert Parker

The 2009 Testamatta possesses remarkable depth and power along with tons of textural elegance. There is plenty of Sangiovese character in the dusty red cherries, flowers, licorice and tobacco. The wine's color and forward bouquet suggest it is on a relatively fast path of evolution. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2021.

Additional Information on Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2009

Vintage: 2009

Despite less than ideal climatic conditions, featuring storms which threatened an otherwise perfect year, most parts of California had an excellent year for viticulture. Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs were picked at optimum ripeness, and Californian white wine was just about as good as it could be. Surprises and overcoming difficulties summed up much of the United States' wine industry in 2009, and many of the results from Oregon, Washington State and all over California speak for themselves, with the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon grapes having developed healthy, thick skins and thus plenty of character and distinction. Elsewhere in the New World, South Africa had a very good year in 2009, and wineries across the cape of the African continent are proclaiming it a truly great vintage.
In most of Europe, fine weather and punctual ripening periods produced some excellent wines, with many of the best coming out of France's Bordeaux and the surrounding regions. Merlot had an exceptionally good year in France, and wineries are proclaiming that the 2009 Merlot harvest was one of the best in living memory. Indeed, across most of France, ripening was relatively even, and red wine grapes such as Cabernet Franc, Syrah and others were reportedly highly characterful, with plenty of the required tannin levels with which to make high quality wines. Italy, too, had a very good 2009. Piedmont reported extremely favorable conditions throughout 2009, and their signature Nebbiolo grapes were more or less perfect when harvested, having benefited from the slight drop in temperature at the end of their ripening period. Veneto, too, had an enviable year, producing superb Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay wines in 2009.

Region: Tuscany

Tuscany has been producing fine wines for almost three thousand years, and as such is widely recognized as being one of the key Old World wine regions which have shaped the way we understand and enjoy quality wines throughout history. Interestingly, the region is typified by a unique soil type which is not particularly good for growing grapevines, but in Tuscany, the emphasis has always been on quality over quantity, and low yields with high levels of flavor and intensity are preferred, and have become a feature of the region's wine industry. The main grape varietals grown in Tuscany are Sangiovese for the distinctive, flavorful and complex red wines, and Vernaccia for the exquisite dry white wines, although the last couple of decades have seen more varietals grown and an increasing trend towards 'Bordeaux style' wines.

Country: Italy

There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' â€“ the land of wines â€“ so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.